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have to take enforcement action. As a result, both the UC and USD are frequently unduly subject to complaints by restaurant investors who misunderstand our roles. Such grievances and misunderstandings can be eliminated by the establishment of an inter-departmental Licensing Unit comprising representatives from USD and other relevant departments to co-ordinate and speed up the food licensing process, so that applicants can obtain the right to operate their businesses through a legal and proper channel. Such a unit will benefit not only restaurant owners who will no longer be prosecuted for not holding a licence, but also improve the undesirable state of matters currently existing among government departments, i.e. each minding its own business, which means a waste of time and resources of all parties concerned as application documents have to be passed through a chain of departments. There is a need for a co-ordinating body for licensing food premises and I hope such an inter-departmental body will be set up soon.
Mr. Chairman, with these remarks, I support the motion. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN (in English): Thank you. Mr. WONG, while you are still on the floor, I suppose you would like to take the opportunity to speak on behalf of Anna Tang who is unable to attend. I believe you have something to say on her behalf.
MR. SAN STEPHEN WONG HON-CHING (in Cantonese): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Well, Miss Anna TANG is suffering from eye disease. That is why she may not be able to see the draft very clearly today. She hopes that I could read out the speech for her. But I saw that Miss Anna TANG has already got a written report (Appendix A), so I would not like to read out the speech for her any more. I hope that Members would look at her proposals. Let me summarize as follows: She has been concerned about environmental hygiene, the refuse as well as nuisances caused by restaurants and unlicensed hawkers and entertainment. She hopes that on festive occasions, the Council can provide more entertainment programmes for the general public, and she has also expressed concern about greening. She hopes that the Working Group on the Greening of Hong Kong can co-operate with District Boards. These are the main concerns of Ms. TANG.
MR. CHIANG SAI-CHEONG (in Cantonese): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I joined the Urban Council in 1991. In the first year, I joined all the 12 select committees, and this year, I sit on 9 select committees. In the Council, I have learnt much and given much advice. Today, I would like to talk on a few issues and hope that the departments concerned will make some improvements.
First of all, I would like to talk about the hawker problem. I am this year's Chairman of the Working Party to Review Hawker and Related Policies. In the past, the Urban Council has been criticized much for the hawker problem. Hawkers have played a very important role in the history of the territory, but now, the Urban Council should do more work in the supervision and control of hawkers. The raiding operations in Sham Shui Po last year showed the Urban Services Department is determined to deal with hawkers, especially unlicensed hawkers, and has the support of the public. I hope the Urban Council will put licensed itinerant hawkers under control as soon as possible. Earlier on, the Working Party has recommended elimination of the licences of the itinerant hawkers on streets in the hope that the number of on-street hawkers will decrease in a few years' time and the streets will be cleared of itinerant hawkers as part of the comprehensive programme of clearing unlicensed hawkers. The Urban Services Department should improve its market facilities by modifying the designs of redeveloped or newly built market facilities, or by modernizing them with, say, better air-conditioning and environmental hygiene. With such improvements, they should be able to compete with supermarkets and increase their usage rate. In addition, the Department should consider as soon as possible making proper arrangements for the licensed itinerant hawkers such as compensating them with reasonable ex-gratia payment as well as offering more options when resiting them.
With regard to the hygiene of food premises, the Urban Council has launched a series of publicity activities this year. The first month was devoted to publicity and the second to implementation. Prosecutions were taken and publicity given in respect of illegal extension of food premises to the pavements, uncovered food, cleanliness and hygiene of toilets, and broken crockery and utensils. The Urban Services Department has done a good job in this area this year, but it should continue with the publicity work and enforcement actions. It is also hoped that the Department will continue, through the co-ordination of District Hygiene Superintendents, to remind and advise such food premises at district level, and finally, to step up prosecution.
The Restaurant Hygiene Competition has entered into its second year, with more restaurants participating than last year. This is a positive form of publicity to enhance the understanding between restaurant owners and employees, and to highlight the importance of restaurant hygiene. I think the Department has made an excellent job of it.
On the question of street cleansing, the Urban Council introduced a privatization scheme in Tai Kok Tsui and Wan Chai last year. Initial results are encouraging but I would like to remind USD to conduct regular reviews during the trial period and brief this Council on the contractors' performance. Privatization of street cleansing enables the Council to sizeably cut down expenditure and make more funds available for better use.
With regard to sporting activities, I recently attended a Sports Promotion Seminar. This Council held similar events a number of years ago but this year's response was very good. In the past, promotion activities were carried out without long-term objectives and overall planning. This year, however, we witnessed the successful staging and promoting of major events such as the International Lion Dance Invitation Tournament and Challenge Day. At district level, I have received favourable feedbacks from local residents. I hope
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